Advocacy Expert, Local Governance Assistance
Management Systems International (MSI), a Tetra Tech Company, is a Washington, D.C. metro area management consultancy with a 40-year history of delivering results for our clients. Our expertise is in the fields of monitoring and evaluation; democracy and governance; peace and stability; rule of law and accountability; education; gender and inclusion; strategic communications; and leadership and organizational development. MSI has implemented projects in 90 countries around the world such as Colombia, Indonesia, Jordan, Kenya, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, Syria and Ukraine, and works domestically. We support clients ranging from the U.S. Government (e.g., the U.S. Agency for International Development, U.S. Department of Defense, U.S. Departments of State and Labor, and the Millennium Challenge Corporation) to large bilateral and multilateral donors (e.g., the World Bank and the United Nations Development Program). We also work with national and local governments, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), think tanks, foundations and universities. For more information, please visit our website at www.msiworldwide.com.
Project Summary:
The USAID Local Governance Assistance Activity (LGAA) purpose is to strengthen the performance of selected local government units (LGUs) through multi-year technical assistance and capacity development to better plan for, manage, and improve quality of LGU service delivery, promote sustainable local development, and increase transparency and accountability to citizens and businesses, contributing to USAID/BiH’s Country Development Cooperation Strategy’s integrated Development Objectives: 1) Accountability to Citizens of Government Strengthened and 2) Socio-Economic Conditions Improved. LGAA’s assistance will help provide citizens and businesses meaningful roles in strengthening local governance, putting idle municipal land and real property to productive use, increasing investment in sustainable local development, and improving vertical accountability to prevent elected officials from maintaining power through patronage and engaging in malfeasance with impunity.
**Please note: Only Bosnia & Herzegovina citizens are eligible for this position**
Position Summary:
The Advocacy Expert will provide short-term expertise in three main tasks under the direction of the Social Accountability and Citizen Engagement Expert. The Advocacy Expert will formulate realistic advocacy outcomes, outline action steps and timeline to achieve outcomes, and assist each Citizen Advisory Panel (CAP) to communicate progress. This exercise will be conducted with the active engagement of Regional Advisors (RAs), who will follow up immediately and as needed thereafter with each CAP to ensure successful implementation of these plans. This is Short-Term Technical Assistance (STTA) position and candidates are subject to USAID approval. The assignment will take place from November 2024 through January 2025 and the estimated level of effort is 37 days.
Responsibilities:
- Advise CAP members as needed to apply Toolkit guidelines to define advocacy outcomes aligned with identified priorities, methods, and resources to lobby specific improvements in the areas of service delivery, public finance management and other community priorities to inform the development of all steps each CAP should follow in putting together the advocacy plan.
- Facilitate a hands-on session with each CAP to prioritize advocacy issues in line with the Advocacy Toolkit, which will help CAP members to develop their advocacy plans following a basic planning template, including includes specific interventions, defined timelines, targeted stakeholders, necessary resources (human and financial) and communication tools required for effective advocacy effort.
- Support each CAP with the development and implementation of communications activities it will integrate into its respective Advocacy Plan.
- Assist CAPs to consult women, youth, and minorities in developing the advocacy priorities to ensure all citizens’ voices are reflected in the advocacy work.
- Develop and deliver a brief virtual session to familiarize RAs with the advocacy plans and formulate with each RA specific follow up action items the RA will follow to support CAPs in launching implementation of their Advocacy Plan going forward.
- Develop a report incorporating feedback and recommended actions, specific to the particular assistance needs for each CAP, as applicable.
Qualifications:
- Master’s degree in public relations, communications, or other relevant field is required.
- Minimum five years of relevant professional experience in development and implementation of advocacy campaigns involving citizens engagement in BiH is required.
- Strong computer skills and ability to design page outlines is required.
- Experience in the development of advocacy tools and materials, including in relation to oversight advocacy campaigns is required.
- Strong report writing skills required.
- Strong writing and oral communication skills in English and in the official languages in Bosnia and Herzegovina, including Bosnian, Croatian, and Serbian, is required.
MSI is an equal opportunity employer that values diversity and inclusion. We strive to develop and maintain a culture that honors the perspectives and identities of our employees, our communities and those impacted by our work.
We do not discriminate on the basis of any protected attribute, including race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, marital or veteran status, pregnancy or disability, or any other basis protected under applicable law. In accordance with applicable law, we make reasonable accommodations for applicants’ and employees’ religious practices and beliefs, as well as any mental health or physical disability needs.
MSI is an Equal Opportunity Employer/Affirmative Action/Americans with Disabilities/Veterans Employer.
Reasonable Accommodations:
MSI is dedicated to hiring an inclusive workforce. If you would like to request reasonable accommodations during the application process, please visit Tetra Tech’s Disability Assistance Page. Our recruitment team looks forward to engaging in an interactive process to provide reasonable accommodations for candidates.
Only candidates who have been selected for an interview will be contacted. No phone calls, please.
Project opportunity
U.S. Teams and Clients
Democracy, Rights, and Governance (International Development)